n I came to my present field of work it had been the immemorial
custom to have a tree and a treat for the children of the school.
After a year or two of competition with other schools in making it
"worth while" for children to attend our own, we "braced up" and put
the question to vote whether we would make the Christmas festival a
feast for ourselves or a feast for others; whether we would have our
school at this time a dispenser of sweetmeats and ourselves the
beneficiaries, or dispense a gift instead to some more needy servants
of the Master, who had no parental pocketbook to tap; no good things
to give away. To the surprise of all the vote was unanimous against
the old, and in favor of the new, way. There was much misgiving as to
results. Many confidently predicted that the offerings (each class
was invited to bring its own in a sealed envelope) would be
microscopic. It was distinctly understood that no money--not the
smallest sum--was asked from those who disapproved the plan. Teachers
were urged to dissuade their classes from perfunctory gifts.
Inquiring next for a suitable object, we were advised by the Home
Missionary Society of a poor servant of theirs in a Western State,
whose poorer and more to be pitied wife was the mother of seven
children. We put her to vote, and she was promptly and unanimously
chosen. With the introduction into the plan of a personal element,
enthusiasm began, and it became evident at once that there was to be
sharp rivalry between the classes as to the size of their gifts. At
length came the Christmas Eve concert, and with it a bright, full
company of children. They never looked so happy, and every one of
them knows that he never was so happy on such an occasion, as when,
class by class, the offerings were handed to the Superintendent. With
each of these a passage of Scripture was recited. It became only too
evident, as the pile within his hand increased, that the
prognostications of those who were sure that an old Sunday-school
could not be taught new tricks were false. We are a small
school--only 80 scholars--but the class offerings on this occasion
footed up twenty-eight dollars and some cents. A letter was
accordingly written and the money inclosed to the wife (this was the
best part of it, for we were sure that the minister could not then,
as ministers will, mistake the remittance for a portion of his
salary), who was asked to purchase with the amount some article or
articles of wh